Moai Silhouette: Rapa Nui has joined the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge, and the community that stewards one of the largest marine protected areas on the planet is leading the way – Image: Jose Luis Cabello
The Local Sea Council of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), a remote Pacific island known for its iconic Moai monoliths, has chosen Island Conservation and Blue Nature Alliance to support the effective management and implementation of Rapa Nui’s marine protected areas (MPAs).
This collaboration focuses on strengthening governance, stewardship, effective management and long-term sustainability of these globally significant marine ecosystems, led by the Rapa Nui community.
Led by Island Conservation, Re:wild, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, the IOCC advances holistic island-ocean restoration informed by both scientific research and Indigenous knowledge. By restoring these interconnected ecosystems, conservation partners are working to strengthen biodiversity, ocean health, climate resilience, and livelihoods. That’s according to the latest IOCC media release.
Rapa Nui Easter Island celebrations – Image: Island Conservation
Effective Management of Rapa Nui Easter Island MPA’s
Spanning an extraordinary 729,368 square kilometers (approximately 281,611 square miles), the Rapa Nui MPAs (marine protected areas) are some of the largest of their kind in the world. What sets them apart is their governance: the areas are co-managed by a Board of Directors integrated by the government of Chile and members of the democratically elected Rapa Nui Local Sea Council, or Koro Nui o Te Vaikava, composed of Rapa Nui community members. With six Rapa Nui representatives and five government representatives on the Board of Directors, it is one of the first MPAs globally to be co-managed by an indigenous majority.
“This partnership is about ensuring that Rapa Nui’s marine protected areas are not only designated, but also effectively managed and sustained for generations to come,” said Jose Luis Cabello, Island Conservation’s Senior Regional Director of Latin America.
“By supporting Indigenous leadership and strengthening long-term stewardship, we are helping translate protection on paper into real outcomes for people, biodiversity, and ocean health.”
By joining the IOCC, DLNR DOFAW has pledged to re-establish or increase seabird populations, restore native plant communities, and implement regular marine monitoring around the island.
“Rapa Nui has demonstrated extraordinary leadership by creating one of the world’s largest marine protected areas and placing Indigenous stewardship at the heart of its governance,” said Laure Katz, Executive Director of Blue Nature Alliance.
“We are honored to support the democratically elected Rapa Nui Local Sea Council as they move into the next phase of this journey, turning an ambitious vision into lasting conservation outcomes. Together with Island Conservation and local partners, we look forward to helping strengthen the management, financing, and long-term stewardship needed to ensure these remarkable waters continue to thrive for generations to come.”
NAN 05-08-26
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